The Hit List - What if we quiet quit social media?

You’ve probably heard about “quiet quitting,” the act of doing what’s expected at your job but not going above and beyond. It’s a backlash against the hustle culture, which demands being chained to your work 24/7.

For many folks, social media has been another place where we’re expected to be “on” all the time. In fact, social media is designed to be addictive. Is it any wonder people walk around glued to their phones – even during dinner (something I’ve been guilty of!)?

Business owners and content creators are encouraged to post constantly. The theory is: if you’re not on social media, you won’t have a business. So what did we do before then? Plenty. But most of us have bought into the idea that social media is the end-all and be-all for success.

I’ll admit it’s been helpful for me to connect with new people. But over the years, something has shifted. The algorithms are skewed toward those with the money to pay while entrepreneurs and content creators with smaller budgets get left in the dust. Metaphysical practitioners also have to face bias from these tech giants, which makes it harder for your business to be seen.

For example, Instagram is overrun with imposter accounts, but most of the time Instagram won’t remove these scammers. Getting verified is a joke. No matter how successful you may be in the mystical worlds, it’s nearly impossible to get that blue check mark, which leaves your account and audience vulnerable to scam artists. I am a traditionally published author with many books under my belt, but I cannot get verified because I don’t meet their criteria – and I’m not the only one. Instagram is also pushing content creators to a subscription model, which charges people to view your work and forces you to…get ready for it….make more content so they can make more money.

It’s becoming a hamster wheel. And that is unsustainable.

Over the past two years, I’ve begun quietly quitting social media. It started with Facebook. My children deleted their accounts and they said they felt much better not being plugged into the negative energy over there. While I didn’t follow suit, I did unfollow most people other than family, close friends, peers I met in person, and people I’ve worked with closely over the years. (For those of you who got upset by this, it’s nothing personal.) I barely go over there any longer and when I do, it’s not long before I scroll past a bummer post and start feeling icky. I have found it’s better to avoid that space.

While I am still active on Twitter and Instagram, I spend far less time in these spaces than I used to. I also unfollowed almost everyone on Instagram as a way to make my page less attractive to scammers. It seems to be working.

I’m far from quitting any of these platforms but I am scaling back deliberately and in a way that feels good for me.

Some folks have pulled the plug completely and their businesses are thriving. My friend Alexandra Franzen walked away years ago and never looked back. She even created a course to teach people how to do the same.

While I’m not ready to burn it all down, I’m continuing to explore quiet quitting. Stepping back more and more. Instead of giving my time, attention, and dollar bills to the corporations (and billionaires) that run these attention-sucking platforms, I’m investing in myself. And that feels right, right now.

If you’re thinking of quiet quitting social media, here are a few tips:

1. Stop posting so much.
2. Don’t scroll. Post your stuff and leave.
3. Keep your phone on do not disturb. Better yet, turn it off for most of the day.
4. Get rid of notifications. You don’t need to see who “liked” your post.
5. Automate your marketing so you don’t have to be present 24/7.
6. Lock down your direct messages. Don’t answer them, ever.
7. Make sure your phone isn’t handy. Put it in the other room.
8. Start looking at other ways to promote your business. For example, grow your newsletter. Blog more.

If you want to ditch it all completely but are still concerned about your business, check out Alexandra’s class: Marketing Without Social Media.

What will you do with your extra time? I’m sure you’ll find lots of better things to do. I am reading more books, taking classes, watching Sons of Anarchy, exercising, having great conversations, and cooking excellent meals. Maybe you’ll do the same. Or maybe you’ll find other things you want to explore. Perhaps you’ll do nothing at all. That’s totally fine too. In fact, I heartily recommend it.

xo
Theresa

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